Police Officer uses Geocaching to Save a Lost Hiker

Officer Tom Wenzl came out of the woods recently with a story he never expected. He used geocaching to find more than a cache.

Officer Wenzl used his Geocaching iPhone app to locate a lost hiker. The police officer in Washington State, USA is an active geocacher along with his wife. They use the geocaching username VonDeets.

Officer Wenzl reportedly used his Geocaching App to plot a Waymark based on coordinates recorded by the lost hiker’s 911 call. Police could not have used traditional maps. The area where the hiker was lost had not been mapped. After a short search, the hiker and her dog were found safe.

Check out the article to the right in the Mount Vernon Police Department newsletter for more details.

The story of Officer Wenzl’s creativity and determination has also been picked up by local media, including this local newspaper. His geocaching partner and wife, tells Geocaching a local TV news station is also planning to interview Officer Wenzl.